The University of California announced Friday a $69 million settlement with the Bank of America in the ongoing Enron class action lawsuit. -more-

In a community marked by strongly conflicting visions of the city’s future, a young but powerfully connected organization named Livable Berkeley is striving to make its own stamp on the city of tomorrow. -more-

One of the City Council’s loudest and most prolific critics is seeking a seat on the legislative body she has relentlessly hounded for the past two years. -more-

Members of three city unions have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a deal that defers roughly half of their cost of living pay raises to help the city close a $10.3 million budget shortfall. -more-

EDITOR’S NOTE: It is not conventional for newspapers to turn over their editorial space to “politicians.” Papers are expected to maintain a detached approach to the issues of the day, and to assume that those who represent us are guilty until proven innocent. But the owners and publishers of this paper (which has never been accused of being conventional) have had a “Barbara Lee Speaks for Me” bumper sticker on their old red van since Barbara was the sole vote against the invasion of Afghanistan. Our senior editor, who was living in Napa at the time, remembers thinking that he wished she was his representative. Of course, we reserve the right to tell our Congresswoman if she makes any mistakes in the future, but today we’re very pleased that she’s written this guest editorial for us. Today, Barbara Lee speaks for the Berkeley Daily Planet. -more-

Last week, while everyone in Berkeley stood in line to see Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11, my husband and I went to the Albany Twin theater to see The Mother. We often go to this movie house because it regularly features films that aren’t shown in other locations. I’d read a review in the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle about The Mother. The little bald man was jumping out of his chair, clapping. Although this action does not necessarily guarantee that the movie will be worth seeing, I decided to take a chance. The subject matter intrigued me. -more-